LEPROSY AND HIV CO-INFECTION IN PATIENTS ATTENDING LEPROSY REFERRAL HOSPITAL IN AKWA IBOM STATE, SOUTHSOUTH NIGERIA

Background: Leprosy still remain as a public health problem especially in tropical and subtropical countries and HIV coinfection is thought to exacerbate leprosy disease.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of leprosy and HIV co-infection in patients attending Leprosy Hospital, Ekpene Obom, Akwa Ibom state-Nigeria, and identify the clinical leprosy types among affected persons.

Materials and Methods: Patients were classified across the leprosy spectrum from tuberculoid (TT) to lepromatous (LL) leprosy according to field bacteriological index and clinical features following Ridley-Jopling classification. Skin smears were stained for the presence of Mycobacterium leprae using Ziehl Neelsen technique.

Results: Out of 98 persons tested, 42(42.9%) were positive for leprosy representing a new case detection rate of 0.9 case per 100,000 population. Of these, males were 22(41.5%) and females, 20(44.4%). The most infected age group was 15-45yrs (64.3%). Clinical classification showed that 30(71.4%) were Multibacilliary (MB) and Paucibacilliary (PB), 12(28.6%). Across the clinical spectrum of leprosy, Borderline leprosy (BL) was predominant (33.3%), closely followed by Borderline Borderline (BB) (28.6%). Of the 42 leprosy cases, 2(4.8%) were coinfected with HIV. There was no significant differences in HIV prevalence among leprosy cases and non-leprosy subjects (P=0.181). The 2 leprosy/HIV coinfected patients had MB leprosy and were of BB (2.4%) and BL (2.4%) types.

Conclusion: Study findings show that there is relatively high leprosy cases in Akwa Ibom state and those with leprosy/HIV coinfection had multibacillary forms of leprosy (BB and BL). The observed leprosy prevalence and concomitant high HIV burden in the state are of immense public health concern requiring urgent intervention by all parties involved in prevention and control of these diseases to avoid a catastrophe.